Recycling may not yet be a priority for our younger generation, but a new “Recyclarium” featuring fun interactive games that teach about sustainability has hit the streets of New York City in order to change that. The re-purposed trailer, designed by Sims Municipal Recycling, will travel from school to school in order to make learning about the importance of conserving natural resources fun for children. Among other upbeat teaching aids, the mobile education center includes wheels and doors that can be turned to reveal which materials can and can’t be recycled.

The recyclarium was funded by the City of New York’s sanitation department and unveiled this week at PS 63 in Manhattan. Part of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC goal of reducing 30% of the city’s carbon emissions by 2017, the mobile recycling education center doubles as a small research and development office that tests exhibits and games. The vehicle fits up to 15 children and is designed to be explored within 20-30 minutes.

“In this unique learning experience, everything has its place, and New York City schoolchildren will learn that you can recycle many items from an airplane to a plastic bottle,” said Bob Kelman, President of Sims Metal Management – North America Metals. “Before you throw it away, we need to ask ourselves, ‘can this be reused or recycled into something new again?’

Getting children excited about recycling is at least one way to ensure a future that is even more aware of the lifecycle of products than our own, which in turn could reduce waste and promote sustainability. Once again New York is ahead of the curve, taking the future by the proverbial horns, and we honestly couldn’t feel more proud!